House. Baby. Potty. Presents.

I packed some china -- which has still yet to be used in our seven years, two months and three days of marriage -- in cardboard boxes yesterday and piled them in our kitchen. I carefully arranged some candles and wall decorations in another box.

Then this morning I met our birth mom at the doctor's office, where we proceeded to see Ben via ultrasound. He didn't cooperate for pictures, but at least he's cooperating by staying in the womb. He measured 4 pounds, 2 ounces and about 17 1/2 inches at 31 1/2 weeks. Good boy. Now just grow some more, let those lungs develop, and we'll meet you soon enough.

But, hey, his room at the new house is painted. As is the kitchen, our room and the living room. The den -- where we're bound to spend most of our time -- has some paint on it, but covering paneling will probably take another coat. The carpet and laminate are ordered and scheduled to be installed in a couple weeks.

Meanwhile, I've been taking Cate to the potty. Oh, and yes, I say potty now on a regular basis like it's a normal adult word. I think went three times in Taco John's today for lunch. The trips come and go in spurts. She can hold it fairly well, but when she has to do more than pee (like describing poop is classier than just saying so ...) she usually has to make multiple trips before she decides she's ready to sit there. But, really, that's better than the alternative.

We've been potty training for a month now. And, really, I don't have any complaints. I did, however, buy prune juice to help certain bodily functions along in my slightly stubborn 2-year-old girl.

Now that it's nap time, I finished a few things that were deemed priorities, and now I have the urge to organize all the Christmas presents I've bought. Somehow that doesn't really seem like a priority.